Weekly Inspiration: The Quest for Happiness

Occasionally, we all lose sight of what truly is important in our lives. Living in a culture that often promotes superficial definitions of happiness can trigger these types of experiences. For Karl Rabeder, an Austrian millionaire, this realization took 47 years to manifest itself into a catalyst that led him to give away all of his money and possessions. Mr. Rabeder admitted that “money is counterproductive… it prevents happiness to come…” As a reaction to his epiphany, he is selling his home, vacation homes, gliders, and all “unnecessary” possessions and plans to move out to “a small wooden hut in the mountains.” Most importantly, he began to get “the sensation that there is a connection between our wealth and their poverty” after witnessing the increasing poverty on his trips to South America and South Africa.

Although we can’t all be expected to resort to actions as drastic as Mr. Rabeder’s, we can definitely take home an important lesson. Money does not equal happiness. Instead, let’s use this story as inspiration to reflect on the things that truly do make us happy.